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Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and More Sunday Talk

Newt Gingrich confesses he’d vote for his rival, Ron Paul refuses to play the blame game, Mike Bloomberg compares politics to football and more in our Sunday Talk roundup.

Gingrich: Obama’s a Threat to America

It’s the hypothetical question Newt Gingrich hopes he never has to answer. On Face the Nation, the former speaker was asked if, despite their differences, he would support Mitt Romney if he wins the GOP nomination. Gingrich has consistently attacked Romney, but said that he would back the Massachusetts politician, for lack of a better option. “I believe that President Obama is such a direct threat to the future of this country that I will support the Republican nominee,” Gingrich said. He added, “That doesn’t mean that I approve of Governor Romney’s approach, but compared to President Obama, I think that there would be no choice.”

Ron Paul Rises Above

Ron Paul doesn’t have time to fret about the finger pointing and name calling that some other candidates partake in. Instead, the presidential hopeful told This Week that he has bigger and more important things to be anxious about. “I don’t worry about that. I worry about myself, I worry about the message, I worry about the country, I worry about the wars going on, I worry about the economy,” said Paul. “Those are things that I worry about, and that’s what energizes my supporters.”

Santorum: The Race Isn’t Over Yet

After a string of loses in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada, does Rick Santorum still stand a chance? Ever the optimist, the GOP presidential hopeful told Fox News Sunday, that he’s not going anywhere. “I think we’re going to show improvement,” said Santorum. “This race is a long, long way from being over. “ The former Pennsylvania senator also took a moment to thank Americans for praying for his daughter, who spent last week in the hospital with pneumonia. “Thanks to the great work from doctors in the hospital and a lot of prayer, she turned around amazingly quickly and she is home and healthy and we are very, very pleased.”

Bloomberg: Let’s Put Things in Football Terms

There’s no “I” in politics—in the figurative sense, anyway. On Meet the Press, Michael Bloomberg used a football analogy to explain why politicians should work together. The New York City mayor, who was based in Indianapolis to support the Giants in the Super Bowl, thinks Obama detractors are hurting everyone by continually criticizing the president. “Can you imagine a coach who would put a back-up quarterback in if all he did on the sidelines was criticize the starting quarterback,” said Bloomberg. “We need the president to succeed.”

Romney’s ‘Poor’ Word Choice

Mitt Romney’s unfortunate choice of words in referencing his lack of concern for the “very poor” created quite the media feeding frenzy. On Reliable Sources, the panel discussed whether or not Romney’s gaffe was blown out of proportion by the press. Michael Shear from The New York Times agrees that his comments had some degree of meaning, but that the media made a mountain out of a molehill. “There was way too much taking the Democratic line on this,” Shear said. “At the end of the day, it got reported broadly as, ‘He doesn’t care about poor people,’ and I don’t think that’s fair.”

The Separation of Church and Contraception

Recent legislation will require some Catholic institutions (including hospitals and universities) to provide contraception to employees who have government health-insurance plans. This controversial mandate goes against Catholic beliefs and has many religious figures and conservatives up in arms. On Meet the Press, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow explained that Catholic churches are exempt from this mandate, but religious institutions that choose to hire non-Catholics shouldn’t receive special treatment. “When you want to become a health-insurance provider, you must follow the rules of providing health insurance,” Maddow said. “And in this country that means that you have to provide contraception.”

O’Malley: Voters Are Still Shopping

After Mitt Romney’s easy win in Nevada, is the race for the GOP nomination over? Not according to Martin O’Malley. The Maryland governor told State of the Union that while Romney’s win does give him momentum, American voters aren't satisfied just yet. “I think what people are still looking for in the Republican party, and certainly independents, is whether any of these candidates actually have a credible plan for creating jobs,” O’Malley said. “I think this race still has a ways to go.”